


The Beginning

by brokencrown



Series: Tom & Emma [1]
Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Actors, Celebrity Crush, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Romantic Comedy, Theatre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:01:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4224435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokencrown/pseuds/brokencrown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is opening night of Emma's first big production since she left drama school and who is in attendance? None other than Tom Hiddleston.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beginning

_You did it._ Emma thought as the stage became pitch black and the audience began cheering. It was opening night of her first performance at the National Theatre and her first big gig since she left drama school. The lights came back up to reveal a standing audience and she couldn't help but tear up at the sight of it. She and her cast mates took a final bow and scattered to the dressing rooms. 

"I heard David Tennant was in the audience."

There had been talk of several big names being in the audience for their opening night performance and it had definitely made Emma nervous. She liked to think she didn't get starstruck, as an actor herself, but she definitely did. Luckily, she managed her nerves enough to give her best performance yet. Just as she was thinking it wouldn't be the worst thing if someone she admired had come that night, considering she had done so well, one of the stage managers knocked on her dressing room.

"Yeah?"

"Someone would like to see you. Are you decent?"

"Uh, sure." She was a little sweaty and her mascara was slightly smudged, but what are you going to do? She scrambled to put on deodorant as the door opened. When she saw who was entering the room, her deodorant hit the floor. 

"Oh, let me get that."

"No. I, uh, hi," she said as she bent over to retrieve the can. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I saw the show tonight, obviously. I thought you were brilliant. I'm--"

"Tom Hiddleston. Yes. I...know who you are," she said. He smiled and looked at the floor, obviously feeling a little awkward. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. It's just...I'm a huge fan of your work. This is a bit surreal for me."

"I don't mean to overwhelm you, I just wanted to make sure I told you in person how much I enjoyed the show," he replied. _This isn't normal. This can't be normal._

"Thank you. Thank you so much," she said, stumbling to find the right words. The way he was looking at her suggested he expected a conversation out of this. She didn't know quite how she would do it, but she was going to try. "Do you see shows here often?"

That was stupid. She knew good and well that he did, but he didn't know she knew. 

"I do. I've done several shows through the National and like to keep up with their work. They put out some great stuff," he said as he began to look around the room. "I noticed the program said you went to RADA. I did as well."

"Really?" Again, she knew that and the look he gave her suggested he was on to her feigning lack of knowledge. She had to save this somehow. "Sorry I'm all sweaty." _Good one, Emma._  Tom laughed. "Par for the course, right?" he said. His voice was soothing as well as his energy. She began to wonder why she was nervous. 

"It gets easier," he said after a drawn out pause.

"I'm sorry?"

"Meeting actors."

"Oh, right." _He must think I'm such a loser._  

"I was the same way when I first got out of drama school. I didn't know how to handle myself." Tom was trying desperately to keep the conversation going and he made it look so effortless. 

"I can't imagine you struggling with anything, really." _No. You did not just say that._  

He laughed and shook his head. His eyes studied her for a moment and she felt him taking everything in.

"You're an interesting character," he finally replied.

"I do my best," she said as she curtsied. A weight lifted off of her then and the whole energy of the room shifted into one of complete comfort. _Just be yourself. He came in here to talk to **you**._  

"Well, I better be going then," Tom said as he made a move towards the door. 

"Right." She began to gather her things. "I need to be going as well. It was a pleasure to meet you, Tom."

"Likewise," he replied through smiling teeth.

"By the way," she started as he was almost out the door. "It's not every actor that makes me like that. Just the really handsome ones."

_Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Why?_

He looked down at his shoes and gave a breathy laugh. "Why don't I walk you out. Where are you going?"

"I, um, usually just take a taxi." Not true. She usually caught the train at Waterloo Station, but she knew there was no way he was walking her to the train station. Drama school did not teach her how to deal with this kind of situation. 

They walked to the back of the theatre together, making small talk the whole way. A few of her cast mates waggled their brows at her as she passed them. _I'll never hear the end of this._  Once they were on the street and Tom had stopped a taxi for her, Emma's face dropped. _What the fuck am I doing? I don't have money for a bloody taxi._  

"Is everything alright?" Tom asked with raised brows. 

"Yeah. Of course. All good here," she replied as she reached a hand out for him to shake. "Thank you."

He took her hand and pulled her in for a hug. She stood there awkwardly for a moment and patted his back. _God, you are an idiot._  

"Have a safe trip and a wonderful evening. I hope to see you again," he said as she slid into the taxi.

"Same to you." She just wanted this to be over at this point. She closed the door and saw Tom leaning in to give the driver a few notes. _This is the worst._ As the driver pulled away she couldn't even look at him to see that he was waving with a huge grin on his face. It's not that she expected the first time she met Tom Hiddleston to be fireworks and romance, no. In fact, she didn't expect to ever meet him in her lifetime, but could she have made a bigger fool of herself? 

Tom smiled to himself as he walked away, hands in pocket. He had never met anyone like Emma before. There had been no expectations in meeting the young actress, but he couldn't help but feel intense intrigue. 

"Excuse me," Tom said to a passing member of the cast he recognized. 

"Yeah, hi," he replied.

"Sorry, what's your name?" Tom had forgotten his manners for a moment, but recovered quickly.

"Allen."

"Allen. I just saw the show. It was brilliant, by the way. But, um, you know your cast mate Emma?" 

"Yeah, of course," Allen said, looking very confused.

"Do you have her number?" He couldn't believe he had just asked that. _I must be coming across as extremely creepy right now._  

"You want Emma's number?" Allen looked even more confused. 

"Yeah, man," Tom replied. _What have I done?_

"Okay, I guess." Allen hesitantly wrote out her number and handed it to Tom. _Not the smoothest approach, but it got the job done._  

"Thanks," Tom said as he slipped the piece of paper into his pocket.

"No problem."

It was late. Midnight, to be exact and Tom knew he should go home, but he found himself unable to. He strolled the streets, incapable of removing the thought of Emma from his mind. 


End file.
